Article by Alexandru Tomuțiu – Published on Saturday, 06 June 2026, 13:28 / Updated on Saturday, 06 June 2026 13:38
According to calculations made by the supercomputer, all 16 representatives of Europe at the World Cup from the USA, Canada and Mexico will qualify for the knockout phase of the tournament.
This prediction is made by the specialist publication Football Meets Data, based on 495 computer simulations of the 2026 World Cup matches.
The 16 European national teams would qualify for the knockout stages
The same source anticipates that the most likely champion will be Spain. Two other teams from the UEFA zone are also expected to reach the semi-finals: 2022 World Cup finalist France and Euro 2024 finalist England.
The simulations also indicate that Portugal, Netherlands and Belgium will reach the quarter-finals.
According to them, Germany, Turkey, Switzerland, Croatia and Norway would be eliminated in the round of 16, while Scotland, Czech Republic, Sweden, Austria and Bosnia and Herzegovina would end their journey in the first round of the knockout stage.
The 2026 World Championship will be held in 3 countries: USA, Mexico and Canada. It will take place between June 11 and July 19. It will be the first tournament in history with 48 teams.
The tournament will feature a total of 104 matches over 38 days, making it the longest World Cup in history.
Mexico – South Africa is the debut match of the World Cup. It will be played on Thursday, June 11, from 22:00.
2026 World Cup groups
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Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czech Republic
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Group B: Canada, Bosnia, Qatar, Switzerland
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Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
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Group D: USA, Paraguay, Australia, Turkey
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Group E: Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
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Group F: The Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia
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Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
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Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
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Group I: France, Iraq, Senegal, Norway
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Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
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Group K: Portugal, DR Congo, Uzbekistan, Colombia
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Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
